The Whisper

I remember the excitement of being a senior in high school. I had arrived, ready to make my final mark on the school. I was excited, but I had a feeling that loomed over me that kept whispering, this is it. I knew that in a very short time, I would sign a banner that future seniors would look up at. I felt excitement, but there was a dread that lingered.

The end was coming.

I finished my senior year, began my life, and then ran into another Robin Williams movie.

This one would shape my daily outlook.

A Lesson from Mr. Keating

Robin Williams plays Mr. Keating, a teacher returning to his old school. Mr. Keating was the kind of teacher I always wanted to be, and I hope I was, at least at times, while I taught at my old schools.

For my lesson from Robin Williams, I had to place myself among his students.

In his first class, he leads the boys to a trophy case filled with photographs of former students. He asks one of them to read the first stanza of Robert Herrick's poem To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time:

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying.

It is quite the selection for the first day, but then he drives the point home.

Looking at the photographs, Mr. Keating points out that every boy in those pictures once attended that very school. They had hopes, dreams, and plans just like the students standing before him.

Now, they are fertilizer for daffodils.

The boys are invited to lean in so they can hear the advice from the faces in those photographs.

Mr. Keating whispers:

Carpe diem.

Seize the day.

The Advice Still Speaks

This reminds me of looking at the banners in the senior hallway, the state championship years hanging in the gym, and the yearbook pictures. They, too, offer the same advice:

Carpe diem.

However, this isn't isolated to high school. It ripples throughout the rest of our lives.

School is a time when most things are dictated to us, so we can easily fall into a routine. Days pass, and we become passive observers instead of active participants. Leaving school, we feel as though the power has finally been given to us to live our dreams.

Finally, we can do what we want to do.

Sadly, many of us stay passive.

We get a job, make money, and become comfortable. We get married, have a family, and watch the days roll by. We love our routines.

They make life easier. But do they make it better?

What Are We Seizing?

Mr. Keating, in his very first class, wants to shake us out of our comfort zones. He reminds us that this life is short and fleeting.

One day, we too will become food for worms.

We do not know when that day will come, but we do decide how we will live the moments we have been given.

Mr. Keating is also asking us to reflect on a deeper question.

If we are going to seize the day...

What exactly are we seizing?

In a later class, Keating offers his own answer. I think it is worth a newsletter of its own.

Weekly Challenge

Set aside fifteen uninterrupted minutes this week.

Put your phone away and ask yourself one question:

If my life is finite, what deserves more of my attention?

Then choose one small action that reflects your answer. Call a friend. Play with your children. Pray. Read a good book. Tell your spouse you love them.

Seize today—not because tomorrow is guaranteed, but because today has already been given to you.

Forge Ahead

Anvil: the place of formation.

Arrow: the mission we're sent on.

The world needs more men formed in virtue. Forward this to a brother who's ready to grow.

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